Wolf Lichen: Foraging Color in Unexpected Seasons

Letharia Vulpina - the latin name of Wolf Lichen - literally translates to lethal to the fox. This gorgeous chartreuse lichen gets its beautiful color from Vulpinic Acid, which is toxic when ingested by most meat-eating mammals and has been used historically as a poison for wolves and foxes. (Interestingly, it's not poisonous to rabbits and mice -- a huge food source for wolves and foxes). There are reports that in the 17th century in Northern Europe, humans stuffed caribou carcasses with the lichen to target wolves.

Vulpinic Acid is not only bright yellow green in color and poisonous to most carnivores, but it's also ultraviolet-blocking. The UV blocking properties of Vulpinic Acid may help protect the underlying cells of the algal/fungi relationship from being burned by UV rays.

Wolf Lichen is extremely slow growing, so when I harvest it for dye pots, I only harvest it in areas where it's plentiful and I can leave more than 90% to continue growing. It can grow year-round even in freezing temperatures, if exposed to the sunshine or warmth, which allows the outer fruiting fungus to create ideal temperatures for the internal algae to begin to photosynthesize and continue to grow.

Indigenous tribes used wolf lichen to dye with -- from hides to baskets to porcupine quills. I mordant with alum in an 8% solution to the weight of fiber, then dry my skeins. Once the skeins have dried, I add them to a 1:1 (one part lichen by weight to one part fiber by weight) dye pot, bring it to a simmer, and allow it to steep overnight. The result is a brilliant green-yellow dye, which does fade somewhat to bright yellow with time.

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